WASHINGTON — The National Institutes of Health (NIH) expects to admit a patient who has been exposed to the Ebola virus to its Clinical Center in the coming days.

The patient is an American physician who was volunteering services in an Ebola treatment unit in Sierra Leone, according to an NIH press release.

The patient, according to the institute, is being admitted to the NIH Clinical Center for observation and to enroll in a clinical study.

The unit staff is trained in strict infection control practices optimized to prevent spread of potentially transmissible agents such as Ebola.

No additional details about the patient are available at this time.

NIH is taking every precaution to ensure the safety of its patients, NIH staff, and the public, according to an NIH release.

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